Mounting mechanism



May 9, 1967 M. STOT'T ETAL MOUNTING MECHANI SM Filed Dec. 10, 1965 INVENTORS= ALBERT MSTOTT United States Patent 3,318,034 MOUNTING MECHANISM Albert M. Stott, Southampton, and Osyp Nimylowycz, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 513,127 3 Claims. (Cl. 42-1) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a mechanism for releasably accommodating or mounting reversely positioned, tapered projectiles, and more particularly, to such mechanisms, particularly suited to reactionless launchers, which themselves are in flight movement as part of the rocket missile arrangement.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will hold and release a smooth surfaced conical projectile having a locking taper that ordinarily would prevent release.

In one aspect of the invention the mechanism includes a rearwardly converging tapered cone provided with buttress thread type inner surface portions, a conically shaped split collet internally carrying a frictionally interlocked projectile and having an outer surface mating with the cone inner surface portions and normally engaged therein with some longitudinal clearance therebetween, and releasable means normally restraining movement of the collet relative to the cone. 1

These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred arrangement embodying the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the collet employed in the FIG. 1 arrangement.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG 1 with the latch mechanism operatively released pursuant to projectile release.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 provides a means of retaining and releasing a reversed oriented, tapered projectile 10. Normally, projectiles travel point first in the direction of motion. However, in this arrangement the projectile travels base first, and the conical tapered point is to the rear. The mechanism is intended to be used in conjunction with a gun type of launching tube 11 embodying a piston 12 and cylinder 13 suitably actuated by means not shown. The projectiles under the action of an accelerating force cause a reaction force called a setback force which produces a sticking, frictional force at the mating, self-locking, conical tapers of the projectile periphery and inner surface 15 of the split collet 16. The retention, unlock and release of the projectile is mechanically sequenced to provide for a smooth transition of the projectile from a retained position to a free flight trajectory without disturbing the accuracy of flight. Spin is imparted to the collet, which contains the projectile, during the launching travel to provide spin stabilization during flight. Provision has been made in the construction which permits the use of the rotation as an additional or assisting motion during release, in event additional force would be required.

The mechanism includes a rearwardly converging, tapered cone 17 threadedly attached to the gun launching tube 11 which provides linear motion with a combined rotation due to twist grooves (not shown). The collet 16 has an inner conical tapered surface 15 with an apex angle that can provide a self-locking taper. The collet 16 is provided with a peripheral series of slotted wall portions, each including slots 19, (FIG. 2) and segments defined thereby that yield to create a spring action causing the collet to automatically expand in a general radial direction when the external surfaces are displaced to allow clearance.

The external surfaces of the collet consist of a helical arrangement of non-locking conical tapered, modified buttress-thread type surface portions 22, with special end or longitudinal clearance 24 when engaged with mating internal threaded surfaces 23 of the cone 17. The helix of the thread is not mandatory to the arrangement, but provides for both the ease of machine and the assembly. The mating surfaces of the cone and the collet allow a small amount of relative linear or axial travel which is utilized to produce collet squeeze in the assembled position and to provide clearance for collet expansion during the release. By this means, the frictional forces, which otherwise would tend to cause binding of the collet, are utilized to help expand the collet and in effect assist the spring action of the collet.

In the assembled condition, the collet 16 is restrained in the compressed state by stop pins 25, extending transversely through suitable cone opening 26 and adjacent to the end of the collet, in order to permit easy assembly of the projectile (without undue opposition from the collet) and unobstructed motion of the pivoted latch means 28, supporting the stop pins 25, as they are moved to the locking position.

The latch assemblies, shown generally at 33, are suitably attached to the outer surface of the cone and the latch portions 29 extend over the base of the projectile 10 to engage the latch pins 30 in cam slots 31 and to press or shoulder against the base of the projectile. Locking and unlocking of the latches is accomplished by the restraining rod 32 and cam mechanisms housed within the latch assemblies. The engagement of the latch pins 30 in the cam slots 31 complete a driving connection to means (not shown) for spinning the projectile 10.

When the gun type launching mechanism is fired, a combination of linear translation and angular rotation is imparted to the cone 17 and collet 16 in which the projectile 10 is retained. The combined motion of the cone is supplied to the projectile.

Near the end of the gun launching travel, the latch rods 32 are restrained by means not shown and the latch mechanisms 33 unlock (FIG. 3). The latch portions 29 are cammed outward by pivoting latch members 28 and the stop pins 25 are withdrawn, thus freeing the projectile 10 so that it can be released by expansion of split collet 16.

At the end of stroke, the cone \17 and latch assemblies 33 are restrained from further travel. The momentum of the projectile 10 and collet 16 masses cause the collet to shift in the direction of motion the amount of linear clearance 24 established in the assembly. The corresponding threads 22, 23 shoulder longitudinally, but due to the large taper, radial clearance is produced around the collet 16.

The compressed collet 16 then springs open relieving binding friction and releasing the projectile 10 to free flight. The action is smooth and does not produce any disturbance to the projectile flight.

Various modifications, changes or alterations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the in vention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A mechanism for releasably mounting a reverselyoriented tapered projectile comprising,

a rearwardly converging, tapered cone having buttress thread type inner surface portions,

a conically shaped split collet for internally carrying a frictionally interlocked projectile and having an outer surface mating with said cone inner surface portion and normally engaged therewith with some longitudinal clearance therebetween, and

releasable means normally restraining movement of said collet relative to said cone.

2. In a launcher having a launching tube containing a launch initiating piston,

a rearwardly converging, tapered cone having its rear portion secured to said tube in the forward path of said piston, said cone having buttress thread type inner surface portions.

a conically shaped split collet internally carrying a frictionally interlocked projectile and having an out- 4} tion and normally engaged therewith with some longitudinal clearance therebetween, and

releasable means normally restraining movement of said collet relative to said cone.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein said collet outer surface includes tapering buttress thread means and longitudinally extending slot means defining longitudinally extending collet segmental portions, said cone and collet having at their forward ends a plurality of aligned transverse apertures, and said releasable means including stop means normally extending through said apertures.

No references cited.

er surface mating with said cone inner surface por- 15 SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner, 

1. A MECHANISM FOR RELEASABLY MOUNTING A REVERSELYORIENTED TAPERED PROJECTILE COMPRISING, A REARWARDLY CONVERGING, TAPERED CONE HAVING BUTTRESS THREAD TYPE INNER SURFACE PORTIONS, A CONICALLY SHAPED SPLIT COLLET FOR INTERNALLY CARRYING A FRICTIONALLY INTERLOCKED PROJECTILE AND HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE MATING WITH SAID CONE INNER SURFACE PORTION AND NORMALLY ENGAGED THEREWITH WITH SOME LONGITUDINAL CLEARANCE THEREBETWEEN, AND RELEASABLE MEANS NORMALLY RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID COLLET RELATIVE TO SAID CONE. 